Almonds have been around for a very long time, yet they have always been as popular as they are now. Some people like to have them whole, while others like them as a butter and some prefer drinking them as a milk. Either way, almonds are really good for you, make sure you get your daily dose of 1/3 of a cup!

Here are some interesting facts on almonds:

Crunch them and chew them properly, research has the shown that the more you chew on almonds the more nutrients you absorb. Chewing breaks down the cellular wall, helping us absorb more of the nutrients.

In a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, 12 patients with high LDLcholesterol were fed almonds for 2 weeks and were able to reduce their cholesterol from 12% to 8%. Now that’s impressive.

High in both magnesium and potassium, this nut is able to increase your blood flow and let your muscles relax, helping maintain normal blood pressure and heart health!

Worried about high bloodsugar and want to have something sweet? Stick in almonds to your meal (around 22 whole ones) and watch your blood sugar not increase much. It’s been proven!

Hello weightloss!!! Yes, fats can make you skinny. A research published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, that consuming almond along with a low calorie diet can help you shed weight in no time. Consuming almonds can also lower your risk of gaining weight.

Yummy Almond Milk

Almond milk is easy to make at home, and that way you can add ingredients to your liking. You will be needing a mesh cloth, or cheese cloth to separate the pulp from the milk. If you are using a cheese cloth you might need to strain the milk a couple of times before you are able to get a smooth creamy texture. If you don't have a cheese cloth you can use a strainer. This milk can stay in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Yield:3.5 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds, soaked in water overnight

3.5 cups drinking water

2-4 pitted dates

1 whole vanilla bean, chopped

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

Small pinch of salt

Directions:

Soak raw almonds overnight in water.

Rinse and drain the almonds and place in a blender along with the drinking water, pitted dates and chopped vanilla bean.

Blend on the highest speed for 1 minute.

Place a cheese cloth over a large bowl and slowly pour the almond milk mixture into the bag.

Gently squeeze the cloth to release the milk. Repeat until all milk is squeezed and milk texture looks smooth.

Rinse the blender and pour the milk back in. Add the cinnamon and pinch of salt, blend on low to combine.